New North American Competition?

[Gomersall]

 

[welshmagpie]

So, based on the social media countdowns and rumours we seem to think that this is a new semi-pro competition, so far featuring:

Cleveland

Washington DC Cavalry (somebody please design them a new logo)

Boston Thirteens

Atlanta Rhinos

Toronto Wolfpack

[fighting irish]

6 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

 

Can you post this link again Gomersall? i can't open it for some reason. 

2 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

So, based on the social media countdowns and rumours we seem to think that this is a new semi-pro competition, so far featuring:

Cleveland

Washington DC Cavalry (somebody please design them a new logo)

Boston Thirteens

Atlanta Rhinos

Toronto Wolfpack

Is it a different comp from the CCCRL proposed by that chap from England?

 

[GeordieSaint]

Atlanta is a long way from those other locations...

[Hela Wigmen]

Mascord fails to see or understand the well documented financial problems the club faced pre-Covid, which should have had alarm bells ringing with any credible journalist, and just proceeds to blame Super League and claim we’ll see it as a missed opportunity, which is misguided and wrong, really. 

[Damien]

It would be fantastic if this happens 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Mascord is a bit of a loon when it comes to Toronto. He fails to see or understand the well documented financial problems the club faced pre-Covid, which should have had alarm bells ringing with any credible journalist, and just proceeds to blame Super League and claim we’ll see it as a missed opportunity, which is misguided and wrong, really. 

It'll be good if people are proved wrong and RL becomes huge in North America and it is a genuine missed opportunity. 

There is nothing bad to come from that, there is no reason to bring SL into it tbh. 

[gingerjon]

12 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

So, based on the social media countdowns and rumours we seem to think that this is a new semi-pro competition, so far featuring:

Cleveland

Washington DC Cavalry (somebody please design them a new logo)

Boston Thirteens

Atlanta Rhinos

Toronto Wolfpack

I *think* I saw someone share a New York countdown as well?

[fighting irish]

Can anyone post a link to this article? 

[Tommygilf]

19 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

So, based on the social media countdowns and rumours we seem to think that this is a new semi-pro competition, so far featuring:

Cleveland

Washington DC Cavalry (somebody please design them a new logo)

Boston Thirteens

Atlanta Rhinos

Toronto Wolfpack

Boston are one of the leading USARL teams

[JonM]

6 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Can anyone post a link to this article? 

https://twitter.com/therealsteavis/status/1375810595728060426

Try this?

[ELBOWSEYE]

6 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Mascord fails to see or understand the well documented financial problems the club faced pre-Covid, which should have had alarm bells ringing with any credible journalist, and just proceeds to blame Super League and claim we’ll see it as a missed opportunity, which is misguided and wrong, really. 

If the same standard of financial incompetence was scorned at over hearland clubs repeatedly doing the equivalent or worse a high percentage of clubs would not be here. 

[Barley Mow]

56 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

 

All the best to them, I hope they make a go of it and the game takes off in North America.

A NA league may have been the better option from the start, a European Super League can be a success and it would be good for the game if more French (or other continental teams) can make a success of it, but making it a northern hemisphere Super League might have been a step too far.

Where does this leave Ottawa Aces and New York for joining League 1?

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

All the best to them, I hope they make a go of it and the game takes off in North America.

A NA league may have been the better option from the start, a European Super League can be a success and it would be good for the game if more French (or other continental teams) can make a success of it, but making it a northern hemisphere Super League might have been a step too far.

Where does this leave Ottawa Aces and New York for joining League 1?

I think long term having separate strong leagues that aren't English or Australian will be great for the sport. 

However I think that to fast track that growth the solution is to bring a handful of strategic clubs (Catalans/Toulouse/A.N.Other in France or Toronto/Ottawa/New York etc in North America) into an existing league structure. That gives them far greater local kudos and interest - compare Elite 1 or Major League rugby crowds with Catalans or Toronto Wolfpack for example.

From that, further growth including conferences can be created and eventually the independent Leagues we want. 

[DI Keith Fowler]

22 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

If the same standard of financial incompetence was scorned at over hearland clubs repeatedly doing the equivalent or worse a high percentage of clubs would not be here. 

There is a certain double standard with people clutching their pearls at Toronto not paying players and suppliers. They are/were a rugby league team I think it's sadly not that unusual.

Doesn't mean it should be overlooked but let's not pretend the British clubs are squeaky clean, my club Widnes were guilty of both of these things. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by DI Keith Fowler

[Heritage XIII]

5 hours ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

If the same standard of financial incompetence was scorned at over hearland clubs repeatedly doing the equivalent or worse a high percentage of clubs would not be here. 

Plus lets see how many super league clubs in the UK would have survived without £28 million loans + grants from the govt? Please, no time to still be on high horses about the Wolfpack.

[theswanmcr]

6 hours ago, gingerjon said:

I *think* I saw someone share a New York countdown as well?

Yep the Brooklyn Kings have got that countdown too. So that’s 6 teams so far I reckon.

[Man of Kent]

I’m all for a non cart-before-horse North American league. Having Toronto based and playing in Toronto solves practical real-world issues relating to visas, Covid, transatlantic travel costs/faff, inadequate squads due to lack of player development and so forth.

If these teams can sign some British & Anzac pros, then great. Helps with development.  

[Pulga]

This is interesting that it's different from the CCCRL. 

I could see a North American competition, be it the CCCRL or this other one, overtake Super League within a short amount of time. 

[unapologetic pedant]

26 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I could see a North American competition, be it the CCCRL or this other one, overtake Super League within a short amount of time. 

I increasingly incline towards a scorched earth policy in Northern England. Just wipe the game out entirely here, let it grow to be big in the Americas, Asia, Africa, then re-import it free of all the 1895-and-all-that baggage.

The new and pristine UK RL could have fans who go to games to enjoy themselves. And correct PTBs.

[unapologetic pedant]

7 hours ago, Dave T said:

It'll be good if people are proved wrong and RL becomes huge in North America and it is a genuine missed opportunity. 

If "RL becomes huge in North America", that`s less a missed opportunity for the RFL, more North American RL dodging a bullet.

[Pulga]

51 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

I increasingly incline towards a scorched earth policy in Northern England. Just wipe the game out entirely here, let it grow to be big in the Americas, Asia, Africa, then re-import it free of all the 1895-and-all-that baggage.

The new and pristine UK RL could have fans who go to games to enjoy themselves. And correct PTBs.

I've absolutely thought the same thing. The image/class "problem" in England is hindering the game.

If the game could build and be seen as more prestigious around the world then those in power in the media in England, not the class that like league already, would have no option but to give it airtime and column inches.

[Big Picture]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

I’m all for a non cart-before-horse North American league. Having Toronto based and playing in Toronto solves practical real-world issues relating to visas, Covid, transatlantic travel costs/faff, inadequate squads due to lack of player development and so forth.

If these teams can sign some British & Anzac pros, then great. Helps with development.  

Those pros would need those things called visas, and based on what I read about the hoops which MLR franchises have to go through to get civil servants in Iowa to issue those only International players will likely be approved and no little semi-pro setup is going to interest them.

You need to stop thinking that a small semi-pro setup can accomplish any real growth over here because things don't work that way.  The history of successful sports development here is entirely top-down.

55 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

I increasingly incline towards a scorched earth policy in Northern England. Just wipe the game out entirely here, let it grow to be big in the Americas, Asia, Africa, then re-import it free of all the 1895-and-all-that baggage.

The new and pristine UK RL could have fans who go to games to enjoy themselves. And correct PTBs.

For that the game needs a whole new built-for-purpose league to break free of the shackles which have held it back in the UK, a league at a level not seen in any other sport.  To make that happen and to stand out over here in America from all the established major pro leagues which are already here it would have to be a transatlantic league with the level of planning and funding required for that to work.  Nothing less could do it.

9 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I've absolutely thought the same thing. The image/class "problem" in England is hindering the game.

If the game could build and be seen as more prestigious around the world then those in power in the media in England, not the class that like league already, would have no option but to give it airtime and column inches.

The route to winning over the media in places like London goes through cities like Toronto and New York, but winning over Torontonians and New Yorkers will require a big time, well-funded approach and nothing less.  Those are major league sports towns, they don't mess with anything below that level.

[Omott91]

10 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

So, based on the social media countdowns and rumours we seem to think that this is a new semi-pro competition, so far featuring:

Cleveland

Washington DC Cavalry (somebody please design them a new logo)

Boston Thirteens

Atlanta Rhinos

Toronto Wolfpack

Am I missing something here? What countdowns and what article is Mascord referring to?  

[Hello]

10 hours ago, Dave T said:

It'll be good if people are proved wrong and RL becomes huge in North America and it is a genuine missed opportunity. 

There is nothing bad to come from that, there is no reason to bring SL into it tbh. 

In their brief history TWP already proved that RL was bigger in one North American city than the majority of SL teams by outperforming them in terms of bums on seats even in the lowly championship